Kuldeep Dhaliwal Lead 'Non-Existent' Dept In Punjab Govt For '20 Months': What's The Controversy

(MENAFN- Live Mint) After the Punjab government abolished the Department of Administrative Reforms headed by him, state Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that Punjab is important for him and not the department. "[Whether this department exists or not] is not an agenda for us," he said.

"They have now abolished the department. We have all come to save Punjab. For me, the department is not important, Punjab is important," Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said.

Dhaliwal said his aim is to serve Punjab and not to be in charge of any department. "We are into saving Punjab and putting the state back on track. Departments have no meaning for me. It is up to the chief minister to get us done whatever work he wants," he was quoted by PTI as saying in Jalandhar.

What's the matter?

According to the notification released on February 21, Dhaliwal, who holds the portfolio of the NRI Affairs department, was allocated the charge of the Department of Administrative Reforms, which the government now says "does not exist".

"In partial modification of Punjab Government Notification No. 2/1/2022-2Cabinet/2230 dated September 23, 2024, regarding allocation of portfolios amongst the Ministers, the Department of Administrative Reforms earlier allotted to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Cabinet Minister is not in existence as on date," the notification read, as per news agency ANI.

Dhaliwal is now in charge of the NRI Affairs department only.

Sources told PTI that no staffer was given to the minister for the administrative reforms department and no meeting related to it was held.

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